It’s 5K Time! Peltier Park race gives proceeds to Brain Aneurysm Foundation
August 26, 2015
OUTDOOR MEMORIES
August 29, 2015
Former Lafourche Parish internal auditor and councilman Tommy Lasseigne announced he is running for Parish Council District 4.
Lasseigne, who served as councilman for District 4 from 2004-07, said he would propose term limits for the Lafourche Parish president and council members, redirecting millages and streamlining government operations to reduce wasteful spending and inefficiencies.
“It’s cool to talk about term limits but you’ve got to get it past the council,” Lasseigne said. “The people can’t vote on it if it doesn’t get on the ballot.”
Lasseigne served as the council chairman during his term as councilman and lost the race for parish president to Charlotte Randolph in 2007. During that race, Randolph won 57 percent of the vote, winning by 3,588 votes.
Lasseigne said he would have proposed term limits during his previous term on the council but knew he did not have the five votes necessary for the measure to pass, but that a new council may be more inclined to side with him on the issue. He further explained that even then, the parish president can veto it and a two-thirds majority vote on the council would be necessary to override it.
“You’ve got to get it past the council and let the people vote on it,” Lasseigne said. “But if the president vetoes it, it [doesn’t] get on the ballot then either.”
Lasseigne also said that there are a number of governmental and quasi-governmental organizations that receive too large a portion of property taxes collected in the parish. He said that restructuring and redirecting millages is a top priority.
Lasseigne said another of his goals would be to streamline parish operations to reduce wasteful spending. Although he would not go into specifics, he said there is “far too much” wasteful spending and inefficiencies in the parish’s administration.
Lasseigne served as the Lafourche Parish Internal Auditor for 2012 until the middle of July. He said he resigned because of a lack of cooperation from the parish administration in providing financial records.
Lasseigne has a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology and a Master’s in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. Lasseigne also holds a master’s of science degree in human resource management from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in strategic management and finance.
Lasseigne has served on the Thibodaux Chapter of the United States Junior Chamber, also known as the “Jaycees.” He also served a member of the board of directors of the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce.
Lafourche Parish District 4 includes the eastern portion of Thibodaux and stretches down Louisiana Highway 308 into parts of Raceland.
Elections for parish council will be Oct. 24, when citizens will decide which candidates will represent each political party in the primary election. Qualifying for candidates, essentially the window they have to register to run for office, will be from Sept. 8 through 10.
TOMMY LASSEIGNE
